Primary-coloured walls, floors that roll under your feet, rooms carved out as spheres. In a quiet residential street in Mitaka, western Tokyo, stands an apartment building that is obviously not an ordinary house. The artist-architects Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins designed it around a single idea: a house built so that you will not die. We joined one of the guided tours — here is the experience, and what you should know before booking.
About this article (who wrote it, and how)
Published by Giropponando — a Japanese-European couple living in Tokyo, writing about places we have actually walked into, for travellers coming from Europe.
The experience below is first-hand, from a guided tour. Prices, booking conditions and access were checked on the building's official site.
Visited: 6 September 2026 / Information last checked: September 2026 (fees and tour dates change — please confirm on the official site before booking).
01 — The building
What is it? Art you are supposed to live in
The Reversible Destiny Lofts — Mitaka (In Memory of Helen Keller) were completed in 2005. They were designed by Shusaku Arakawa and Madeline Gins, the pair behind the Site of Reversible Destiny in Yoro, Gifu.
The space is the whole point. Floors undulate, rooms are hollowed out as spheres and tubes, walls are painted in flat primary colours, and poles and hooks stand around everywhere. Every detail works against comfort and efficiency, and keeps your body aware of itself.
02 — The idea
A house built so that you will not die
Arakawa and Gins called it reversible destiny: the enormous idea of using architecture to argue with the fact that human beings die. By deliberately putting the body under mild strain, the house tries to wake up the senses and the motor skills of the people living in it, and keep them alive in the fullest sense.
The two of them said the work is only finished once someone lives in it. It is participatory art: it needs the body of a resident or a visitor to exist at all. Twenty years after completion, it is still discussed in both architecture and contemporary art.
03 — The visit
What it feels like in person
The tour is led by a curatorial staff member and lasts about an hour and a half. You hear the thinking behind the project and about Arakawa and Gins while actually walking through an apartment that is normally private.
Honestly, the first thing that struck us was simple disbelief: people really live in here. Philosophy and art folded into the ordinary business of daily life — the idea itself is exciting. What moved us most was not the art but the fact that the concept holds up in a place where someone sleeps, cooks and wakes up every morning.
The floor rolls gently everywhere, and almost nothing is flat. Surrounded by walls and columns in flat primary colours, your senses are worked harder than any photograph suggests. But the meaning of each device is very hard to read from outside, which is exactly why the guided tour is worth it. Hearing the explanation while you walk makes the whole concept land at once, and the building becomes far more interesting.
If you want to feel it properly: you can stay the night
Short stays start from three nights. There are two apartments — the "Room for Coordinating" sleeps up to four, the "Room for Approaching the Limit" up to two. Arakawa and Gins insisted the work is only complete once you live in it, so the longer you stay the more you find. Other residents actually live here, so check the conditions on the official site before booking.
Honest warnings (so nothing goes wrong)
You cannot just walk in. People live here. Entering the grounds without permission is not allowed; visits happen only through a scheduled tour or a private tour, both by reservation. Even looking at the outside deserves some discretion.
It is not a casual stop. The official route is a bus or taxi from the south exit of Musashisakai Station (JR Chuo line): bus [Sakai 91] towards Komae or [Kichi 01] towards Kichijoji, getting off at Osawa (about 8 minutes). From Mitaka Station south exit, take [Taka 51] or [Taka 52] to Osawa-Jujiro (about 17 minutes).
Your body does the work. The floor is uneven, so wear shoes you can walk in. If your legs or balance are not reliable, or you have small children with you, take it gently. Course 2, the "architectural body" tour, is for elementary school age and above.
Places fill up. Tour dates are limited and numbers are capped. Book as soon as a date is announced.
Practical information
| Name | Reversible Destiny Lofts — Mitaka (In Memory of Helen Keller) |
|---|---|
| Architects | Shusaku Arakawa + Madeline Gins, completed 2005 |
| Address | 2-2-8 Osawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo 181-0015 |
| Tours | By reservation / about 90 minutes / Course 1 "building tour with a curator" (all ages), Course 2 "architectural body tour" (elementary school age and above) |
| Tour fee | Adults ¥3,000, school age (6–18) ¥1,200, under 6 free (revised July 2025). ¥500 discount for residents, workers and students of Mitaka City, with ID |
| Staying | Short stays from three nights — "Room for Coordinating" (up to 4 people), "Room for Approaching the Limit" (up to 2) |
| Access | Bus or taxi from the south exit of Musashisakai Station (JR Chuo line); bus [Sakai 91] or [Kichi 01] to Osawa, about 8 minutes |
| Booking | Form on the official site / info@rdloftsmitaka.com |
| Official site | rdloftsmitaka.com |
Who will enjoy it
- Anyone into architecture or contemporary art who would rather experience a work than look at it
- Anyone tired of the standard Tokyo itinerary who wants one day they will not forget
- Couples and friends who like sharing something genuinely strange (the overnight stay is the deep version)
Conversely: if you want calm, comfort and easy transport, this is not your afternoon.
FAQ
Q. Can I visit without booking?
A. No. People live here, so visits are only possible through a scheduled tour or a private tour, both by reservation.
Q. How much does it cost?
A. Adults ¥3,000, school-age children ¥1,200, under six free (revised July 2025). Residents, workers and students of Mitaka City get ¥500 off on presentation of ID.
Q. Can I stay overnight?
A. Yes — short stays start from three nights, in two apartments sleeping up to four and up to two people respectively.
Q. Is it suitable for children?
A. Course 1 is open to all ages, though the uneven floor needs attention. The workshop-style Course 2 is for elementary school age and above.
Q. Can I take photographs?
A. The official site does not state a photography policy. Follow the staff's instructions on the day.
Sources
- Reversible Destiny Lofts — Mitaka, official site: https://www.rdloftsmitaka.com/
- Tours (fees, duration, courses, discounts): https://www.rdloftsmitaka.com/tour/
- Access (stations and bus routes): https://www.rdloftsmitaka.com/access/
Fees, tour dates and conditions can change. Please check the official site before booking. The experience described here is our own; we update the page when we notice a change.
Tokyo, slowly — one room at a time.
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